Sound Bites 1.1: LudoBites 8.0 @ Lemon Moon

The last time I went to LudoBites was 4.0 at Gram & Papa's.  So, I'd say it's been awhile.  HC (look for his play-by-play account on his Tumblr) and I originally planned to do a walk-in Friday night in the hopes of getting a table; fortunately, Fiona saved the day by offering us 2 of the 4 spots she just won. 

Ludo was sick, so he wasn't his usual high-energy self, but the food still looked great.  Thanks to the good lighting and my new iPhone 4S, some of my food pictures actually turned out pretty decent.  I'm constantly surprised by the quality of pictures from cell phones these days.

What We Tried:

1. 2009 Cazin Cour Cheverny Cuvée Renaissance Wine - the couple sitting next to us complained about the flavor being too sweet, but I didn't find it overwhelming  
   
   
   
2. Chicken Tandoori Crackling - the couple next to us (yes, they were a chatty bunch) were not fans of this dish.  The liver mousse didn't taste too organy, but the chicken skin had a somewhat plasticky flavor to it
   
   
   
   
3. Sweet Shrimp, Miso Cream, Beans, Smoked Salmon  
   
   
   
4. Monterey Squid, Burned Squid Dashi, Potato, Squid Ink, Ash - I'm not a huge fan of squid.  Eaten altogether, I found the squid swallowed the rest of the flavors.  Apart from the squid, the elements were good individually and together
   
   
   
5. Big Eye Tuna, Tahitian Vanilla, Somen, 7 Flavor Vinaigrette - the vinaigrette was great, but I wouldn't have noticed the vanilla if it hadn't been mentioned on the menu
   
   
   
6. John Dory, Squash, Spelt, Fennel, Tonka Beans - felt like the healthiest of all our dishes
   
   
   
   
7. Veal, Black Olive Tapenade Crust, Orange Carmelized Endive, Clementine Beurre Blanc - as much as I love olives, I found it made the veal a bit too salty for my taste, but the meat was tender
   
   
8. Jidori Half Chicken, Parmesan, Celery Root Soubise, Walnuts 
   
   
   
9. Brown Butter Almond Cake, Apples, Salted Caramel, Orange Creamsicle - HC seemed a bit disappointed that this wasn't actually a cake, but I did enjoy the almond crunch 
   
   
   

Favorites:

1. Lobster Salad, Yuzu, Honey - loved the yuzu sauce in solid form.  All the ingredients worked well together
   
   
   
   
2. Uni Crème Brûlée, Coffee - definitely the table's favorite.  I could eat two of these by myself.  This would be a good introduction to uni for a first-timer...as long as they also like salmon roe...and coffee foam 
   
   
   
   
3. Foie Gras, Tamarin, Turnips, Daikon - HC warned me too late about the broth and I almost choked on the acidity upon my first sip.  Fortunately, nibbling on the foie gras made the soup much more appealing.  I adored the noodlelike daikon strips
   
   
   
   
4. Monkfish Liver, Cucumber, Cornichons, Mustard Seeds - you could hardly tell it was liver and I loved the pickled veggies  
   
   
   
5. Lemon Meringue, Poppy Seed Crumble, Extra Virgin Olive Oil - despite the light looks of the creams, they were surprisingly heavy and made for an interesting take on the lemon meringue pie
   
   
   

Song Pairing: 
MC Solaar - La La La, La



More Reviews and Photos:
KevinEats
Darin Dines